Move Forward One Tee Box If You're Not Scoring +10 or Better, Your Thoughts?

[dennyjones]

  On 7/21/2021 at 10:32 PM, Shindig said:

The thought occurs to me:  do courses not list suggested tees by handicap ranges anymore?  

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Of the many courses I've played in Michigan I've only seen it once on a score card.

[tehuti]

I should probably move up as well, but I am stubbornly sticking to my goal of breaking 100 consistently from the white tees. My optimal course length is below 6,000 yards. Between 5,400 and 5,800. Several of our local courses are in that range and are between par 67 and par 70.

[Bob M]

  On 7/20/2021 at 2:10 PM, RWC said:

I made decision to move up to senior tees for this season of league play (age 69). After 8 rounds, my average score is almost 3 shots better than last year from white tees. What I've found is that forward tees have created different challenges for good scoring as compare to white tees. With the white tees a typical par 4 was driver, 7 wood and then chip for a par/bogey. First putt was typically in the 10-15 foot range. When I moved up to forward tees, my GIR improved dramatically. This move highlighted challenges in my lag putting (typical first putt in the 30 ft range) and ability to hit shorter irons (7-PW) on the mark. I still use the 7 wood on par 5's, long par 3's and 4's so am still using all my clubs.

Overall, I am enjoying the move forward more than I expected. handicap is still same (12) due to lower course rating for forward tees but enjoyment factor is definitely up!

 

Bob

 

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I like RWC's approach to this question. I turned 65 this year after my 9-hole league began, so no switching to the gold tees for me this year, but it is something that is definitely in my future. From the white tees (not all that long at 5,800 yards) I'm playing most of my shots with Driver, fairway woods, wedges and putter, rarely using the rest of my clubs more than once or twice per round. Being able to hit more GIR in a round would result in increased "enjoyment factor" for me as well.

It strikes me that handicap is not the best metric for which tees a golfer should use, that distance (driver, 5 iron, etc.) is a much better metric. It just takes getting the ol' ego out of the way....

[mohearn]

One of the issues we have in our league is that when players move up a teebox, they are more likely to win some of the various awards we give out: # birdies and pars, low gross, closest to pin, etc.

Haven't figured out exactly how to best handle that.

 

[Shindig]

  On 8/4/2021 at 3:21 PM, mohearn said:

One of the issues we have in our league is that when players move up a teebox, they are more likely to win some of the various awards we give out: # birdies and pars, low gross, closest to pin, etc.

Haven't figured out exactly how to best handle that.

 

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There are three leagues at my home course.  One of them is seniors-only, for which I don't qualify (I checked).  However, one of the things they do for their tournaments is to have default tees for each flight.  Any player may play any set of tees desired;  handicap shots get adjusted for the different tees, and players are ineligible for gross prizes if they aren't at the default tees.  I don't know what they do if someone asks to move back a set of tees, but that isn't a concern in this thread.

This allows, say, B flight to play from the blue tees, but the players who cannot really enjoy a round from those tees can move to the white tees, enjoy their round, and still compete in net.  

[Bob M]

  On 8/4/2021 at 3:21 PM, mohearn said:

One of the issues we have in our league is that when players move up a teebox, they are more likely to win some of the various awards we give out: # birdies and pars, low gross, closest to pin, etc.

Haven't figured out exactly how to best handle that.

 

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I'm pretty new to my league, but I gather we've had some controversy in the past, including those who felt that guys playing from the gold (i.e. senior) tees should not be "A" or "B" players (this group did not prevail).

[RWC]

  On 8/4/2021 at 3:21 PM, mohearn said:

One of the issues we have in our league is that when players move up a teebox, they are more likely to win some of the various awards we give out: # birdies and pars, low gross, closest to pin, etc.

Haven't figured out exactly how to best handle that.

 

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Our league has awards for long drive, closest to the pin and longest putt sunk. I'm never in contention for longest drive so I ignore that - for the closest to the pin hole, I play that par-3 from the mens tee (same as everyone else in the league). To me, longest made putt doesn't reflect any tee box, so I just stay with my senior tee box. Honestly I don't think the other awards should be tee box specific  but others might disagree.

[Club Rat]

  On 8/4/2021 at 3:21 PM, mohearn said:

One of the issues we have in our league is that when players move up a tee box,

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Unfortunately, this has become the more norm for players.
I have resent this as a long time student of the game and feel it basically the
"Throws Seniors under the Bus" as in not protecting the Senior field of players for competitions.

Guys who feel they need to Win by playing a shorter course have lost my respect as a golfer. That being said, I do feel the game has evolved with the growth of participation and is in favor of "Making it Fun for All" and less demanding on players skills and abilities to become better.

Sure everyone wants to become better, but very few put in the time to become better.
So allowing the newer players to move forward has been encouraged by USGA and this carries over to those who resent them doing so, IMO. 

[GolfLug]

Up until a month ago I was in the group that echoed the chant of those who are in the forward tees camp. 

I feel differently now having played 6,500+ seven times in July (My normal range is 6,100 to 6,200). While it was a thorough beat down and reality check of where my game lies, it has forced me to re-think my approach to the game in a good way. It was very enjoyable even in poor scoring. I will now play back, even two tees any time I have an opportunity. I wasn't any slower than I have been from the forward tees. 

[DrvFrShow]

At 68, it's getting about having fun. Driving ranges with mats are starting to hurt arthritic hands. Grass driving range costs $25 to use. I can play 18 for $28 at my local courses with the senior rate. I'm playing senior tees and bogey golf so whatever. I don't think it's going to get any better at my age. So might as well just play an extra round a week, right?

[Double Mocha Man]

@Drv4show... where in Washington are you paying $25 to hit on the grass?!  Up here in golf country, north of Seattle, I pay 5 bucks for a small bucket and it's free to hit off the grass.

[DrvFrShow]

@Double Mocha Man The nearest grass range to me is Chambers Bay. The other is The Home Course and that's a drive. Chambers is unlimited balls, though, and it's a complete facility. Don't get me wrong, it's really nice. I don't like practicing there. I lose all perspective of distance because of the size of it. I'm a hacker who hits a little 200 - 210 carry with a driver. That's like a little putt shot on that range with a 5i for the guys. It's built for guys like DJ. It's got a great short game area and I straightened out my bunker shots there once - they have a bunker you have to take stairs down into. If you can get out of that you can get out of any of them. The other problem with Chambers is that there's nowhere to sit and take a break in the shade and it gets hot in that cove. Of course you can go in the morning, practice for a bit, have lunch in their restaurant for a "small fee" and then go back down and practice some more without paying extra. It was at Chambers I learned I can hit out of a divot with a hybrid. 

The Home Course is by the bucket but it's not worth the 45 minute drive (can be an hour with traffic) just to hit a bucket of balls.